Sunday, September 03, 2000
UC will open to national audience
By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It was too good an opportunity to pass up, even though it meant playing on Labor Day. When national TV comes calling, it's a no-brainer.
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ARMY at UC
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• Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. Monday at Nippert Stadium (35,000), Cincinnati.
• Records: UC 0-0 (3-8 in 1999, 0-6 in Conference USA); Army 0-0 (3-8 1999, 1-5 in C-USA).
• TV: FOX Sports Net.
• Radio: WLW-AM (700).
• Series: Army leads 2-0.
• Line: UC by 12
• What to watch: UC's pass-happy offense should be more balanced with the presence of Michigan transfer Ray Jackson and the return of DeMarco McCleskey, two big and strong running backs. The offensive line, consisting mostly of local products, boasts two new starters — Shawn Murphy, a transfer from Michigan State, and Kirt Doolin, who was redshirted last year because of an injury. They displaced two of last year's starters, DeWayne Johnston and Mike Love.
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That would be the University of Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Army at 4:30 p.m. today at Nippert Stadium. It is both teams' season opener.
UC and Army will have the national TV grid audience pretty much all to themselves.
“We might get Hank Williams to come out and sing a line or two,” UC head coach Rick Minter said, alluding to the trademark singer of the most popular version of Monday football ever invented.
“We're the lead-in to Monday Night Football,” Minter said. “It (a college football game on Monday afternoon) was planned by Fox Sports Net. It's good plan ning. If people are tired of eating hot dogs and camping out by late (afternoon), they can settle in for a nice afternoon of college football and tune us in.”
UC is a 14-point favorite, but Army figures to make things interesting. It has a new coach, Todd Berry, who has transformed the team's wishbone option attack into a passing offense.
But Berry knows the Bearcats will be tough.
“They're a very experienced team,” he said. “They have some tremendous athletes, and they've got high expectations. They have a very explosive offense with (Deontey) Kenner throwing the ball around. He creates some problems.”
Minter has his own concerns.
“It's a challenge to open up against a new coaching staff,” he said. “It's scary sometimes. In this case, though, it's a bit of a blessing that Todd Berry has already been a head coach somewhere (Illinois State) and you kind of know his philosophies on both sides of the ball.”
The twist, though, is this: Army may retain some of its wishbone offense because the players are so accus tomed to it.
UC's mission is clearer: At least six victories and a top-four finish in Conference USA would earn UC a bowl bid.
It all starts today.
“Any time you fall below expectations, and you return all your players and most of your coaches, you are excited about getting back out there,” Minter said. “We can't wait.”
Besides the national-TV wrinkle, there is no shortage of fodder for Minter's pregame pep talk: season opener, conference game, new playing surface, new attitude, new personality, new leadership, new captains and some new starters.
Do the players need to be reminded they'll be on national TV?
“No, they know,” Minter said. “I don't know anybody who doesn't like to be on TV.”
He referred to the holiday football watchers as “a captive audience.”
“We could not turn that down,” he said. “It won't affect us one iota in the outcome of this game. The second week, it puts you behind the eight-ball a little bit (because of short preparation for Saturday's home game against Syracuse).”
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